Portable hose carts for convenient handling and storage of a flexible garden hose have gained wide public acceptance. Such carts are primarily constructed of molded plastic components having a centrally disposed rotatable spool for reeling inward or outward the flexible hose, a frame including a pair of frame sides for supporting the spool, wheels at one end of the base of the frame, and a handle for tilting the frame onto the wheels so that the cart may be easily moved. For more information concerning the structure and operation of such a hose cart, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. No. RE. 32,510, the teachings of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Hose carts are commonly purchased by the general consumer wherein it is desirable that the hose cart can be easily assembled using minimal hand tools. The use of such fasteners can be time consuming and requires the use of hand tools. Commercially available hose carts typically make extensive use of threaded fasteners to join major components. U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,580 teaches the use of a connector assembly for joining components of a hose cart. A male component of the assembly is molded with one piece of the cart, and a female component of the assembly is molded with a second piece of the cart to be joined to the first piece. These components are easily unlatched to permit disassembly of the hose cart.
A problem with portable hose carts of the prior art is that, despite the directions for assembly, a majority of the consuming public is unable or have no desire to assemble such devices. Cottage industries have developed solely for the purpose of assembling products that have been purchased in a disassembled state. Many stores that inventory unassembled product have personnel on staff capable of assembling the product for the customer. If the store performs this assembly at no charge to the customer, it is a burden on the store. Alternatively, the store may assemble the product and pass the cost onto the consumer.
One of the problems with any assembly outside of the factory is that improper assembly can damage the product. This typically occurs when the assembler does not read the instructions or tries to force fit a component. The result is aggravation by the purchaser who may ask the store to take back the product and refund their money. Obtaining a refund is a time consuming and expensive process to both the store and the producing factory. The store may return the product to the factory who then attempts to salvage the damaged product. Not unexpectedly, most returned items are damaged as a result of improper assembly.
Most large products produced by a manufacturer are not assembled due to the size of the packaging required once an assembled product is put into an operating form. For instance, a typical hose cart is shipped in a disassembled state so that it can fit in a box that allows the device to be shipped on a pallet together with numerous other boxes. Under such circumstances it is not unusual to have ten or more boxes of portable hose reels placed on a pallet wherein a forklift can be used for lifting of the pallet for placement. A receiving store may leave a shipment of boxed hose carts on a shipping pallet above the normal reach of the consuming public. Boxed product is brought down to replenish those items purchased causing the store to decide whether or not to assemble the product before display.
Unassembled hose carts are packaged in a shipping carton to protect the product during shipping and storage, and more importantly, prevent loss of individual components before assembly. A great deal of time and expense goes into packaging of the product so as to provide as compact packaging as possible. The shipping carton must include indicia to indicate to the public what is within the contents of the carton. Adding an expense to the carton is the use of color graphics which is preferred by store owners so that potential purchasers do not break open the cartons in an effort to determine the contents of the carton. The unassembled hose carts further require the inclusion of assembly instructions.
Disposal of shipping containers is also wasteful. Once a hose cart is assembled, the shipping carton is unusable for nearly any other purpose. The carton becomes a waste product that will hopefully be recycled but realistically adds mass to a landfill. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,512,361; 5,046,520 and 5,056,553 all set forth hose cart storage apparatuses which consist of various preassembled components that are easily assembled upon receipt by the average consumer. Common among these devices is the need for shipping cartons so that the components are not lost in transit. Thus, despite the simplicity of the assembly, all such devices are dependent upon the use of properly sized shipping cartons which further require graphics so as the consumer can determine the contents of the carton.
Another problem with the prior art hose cart device is the securement of a reel hub necessary for the introduction of water. The reel hub must allow rotation yet allow the device to be hooked up to a water supply wherein the hose can be reeled inward or outward without interfering with the flow of water. Seals within the hub allow rotation without leakage. The problem occurs when the seals require service, either in the form of lubrication or replacement. This is a common problem in the northern states should the device be allowed to freeze. As exemplified by the '361 and '520 patents, the hub is coupled to the reel by the use of fasteners such as a metal screw. When the seals require service, the hub must be removed to facilitate replacement. Without proper tools, the unit will be damaged. Should the attachment screws be displaced, the use of improperly sized substitutes may cause the screw threads to strip, damaging the unit. The necessity of tools may intimidate the average consumer from performing even routine maintenance such as lubrication, leading to early failure of the seals.
Another problem with the prior art is that the winding reels do not accommodate the natural curvature of a hose connection which may lead to a premature failure of the hose. To compensate for the curvature, prior art devices employ an extension pipe to direct the water supply to a position external the hub surface. Without such piping, should a flexible hose be wrapped around the reel, the hose is forced into a position placing the hose in a stressed or kinked position.
Thus, what is lacking in the art is a portable hose cart that can be preassembled at the factory, shipped without the necessity of a conventional shipping container, and of such design that the carts can be nested together to reduce storage space. Further, a portable hose cart is needed having an improved reel assembly that can be disassembled without tools and includes a means for reducing stress from a hose wrapped around the reel.